Clasp



J. H. LYNCH.

CLASP.

APPLlcATmu mio mi. 26. |920.

1,369,823. mm1 Mar.'1,1921.

JOSEPH H. LYNCH, OF ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY.

CLASP.

innesca'.

Application flied April ze,

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1,3' osnrn H. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Asbury Fark, county of Monmouth, and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Clasps, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to clasps, and particularly to clasps employed inlaundries for the purpose of identifying the various are ticles ofthelaundrys customers. Clasps used for this purpose bear numbers or otheridentifying marks, are attached to the articles before putting themthrough the laundrying operations, accompany the articles through thelaundrying operations, and are then used as a means of identifying thearticles of the different customer-s.

Pins constructed more or less along the idea of the ordinary safety pinhave been employed, and while they are fairly satisfactory when used inconnection with coarse and rough articles, they nevertheless have thedisadvantage that they often become disengaged from the articles inpassing through the laundrying machinery, and for this reason when theyare used the articles themselves are generally provided with anadditional f identifying means by being marked with ink. This latter isinefficient because it requires two operations. Furthermore, the pinsare very unsatisfactory for use in connection with the liner articles,such as handkerchiefs, table linen, shirt waists, etc., for the pinsmust necessarily pierce the articles; and such articles, because oftheir nature, cannot well be marked with ink. i

1t will thus be seen that what is required to overcome the difficultiesis a device which can be readily secured to and detached from thearticles without piercing or otherwise mutilating them; which isunlikely to become accidentally detached from the articles; which iscompact and will not be crushed by the mangles andfother laundry ingmachinery; and lwhich presents a smooth outer surface so that it willnot readily catch on anything. The object of the invention is to providesuch a device. i

In the accompanying drawings, in which 1 have illustrated the preferredforms of my invention, and in which like reference numerals designatelike parts,

Figure'l is a plan view of my clasp 1n open position,

Specification of Letters Eatent.

ratented Mar. i, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 376,470.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of it in closed or clasping position,

F 1g. 3 is a side elevation of clasp in ope position lookinginv as fromthe bottom of Fig. p 1, Y

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, p

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the clasp actuating member and thespring clasping member respectively,

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of a modification of the construction of mydevice, taken on a line similar to that on which Fig. 4 is taken, andFig. 8 is a plan view of the spring employed in Fig. 7. f j Y Referringto F igs.- 1` to 6 inclusive of the drawings, 10 indicates a fairlystrong and rigid U-shaped body member, provided with the loop 11 bymeans of which the clasps may be strung along a line or rod forconvenience in handling and assorting. This loop may be formed` as apart of body 10, or itl may be attached thereto in any suitable manner.The body 10 is provided on a suitable portion thereof with a numberor'other mark (125) for the purpose of identification.

Located between the wings of the body l0 is a spring clasping member 12,shown in plan in Fig. 6; and which, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, isrigidly secured at oneend to the body 1() by means of rivets or pins 13.This spring member is so bent that its free end 12a normally touches orapproximately touches the interior surface of the body member 10 on thewall opposite theV wall to which its other end is secured. The materialof the article to which it is desiredto attachr the clasp is insertedthrough the opening 14 between one side of body 10 and the springclasping member 12; and in order that the member12 will securely claspand hold'the,`l

material when in closed position, it is provided with the bluntprojections 15. These projections are arranged substantially in linewith perforations 16 in body 10. They are blunt in order that they willnot injure the material. y

The spring or clasp actuating member 17, shown in plan view in Fig. y5,.consists of a piece of metal having a bent-over portion 18,v andprovided with an extended portion 19 for convenience in opening theclasp.

Member 17 is secured within thevbody 10 by means of pin 20 about whichit is turnable.

When member 17 is turned aboutits axis 20 from open position illustratedin Fig. 3, to

closed position illustrated in Fig. 4, its upper surface engages thelower surface of spring 12, follows along such surface, and acts as acam to force the free end of the spring toward the interior Wall of thebody 10 to which the other end of the spring is secured by pins 13. Thuswhen material is inserted in opening 14 itvvill-'be tightly pressed andheld by the spring against an inner surface oit' U-sbaped body 10. WhileI have shown the member 17 provided with the bent-over portion 18, it isobvious that instead of being made in this manner the member 1'? may bemade or" a piece of metal of suiiicient thickness to perform itsfunction of moving the free vend of spring 12 Without the necessity ofbeing bent over.

In the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the onlychange from that shown in Figs. l to 6 inclusive is in the manner ofsecuring the spring member 12 and the spring actuating member 1.7 tothebody 10. In this form a single shouldered pin or rivet 21 is employedi'or' this purpose. The p in has the shoulder 22 which presses againstthe spring member 1.2 and holds the latter iirmly against the bdy 10.The spring o'r clasp actuating member 17 is pivotally mountedron thethicker portion oi the pin. the spring 12 Ahas Vits inner edge 12b soarranged as to abut against the body 10, in order to further prevent thespring from turning about tlie pin 21 as an axis.

It Will be noted that have devised a clasp which has a smooth outersurface and is quite compact, which will engage and securely hold thematerial to Which it is attached Without perforating or otherwisemutilating the material, which has all the Working parts confined Withinthe main body member and Which When in closed or clasping position ispractically a solid piece.

I claim 1. Y In a clasp, a rigid U-shaped'body member, a spring claspingmember located Within and secured to said body member, and a claspactuating member pivotally secured to said body member and movable aboutan axis Vperpendicular to the plane or" the Wings of said body memberinto a position substan- In such an arrangement tially completelybetween the Wings to actuate the clasping member and hold it in claspingposition.

2. In a clasp, a rigid U-shaped body membei', a spring clasping memberlocated With- 1 in and having an end secured to said body member, and acla p actuating member pivotally secured Ato said body member andmovable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Wings of saidbody men'iber into a position substantially completely between the Wingsto engage the tree end of the spring member and torce it into claspingposition.

i. In a clasp, a rigid lil-shaped body member, a spring clasping memberlocated Within said body member, a pin secured between the Wings of saidbody member having a shoulder engaging and securing said clasping memberto said body member, and a clasp actuating member pivoted to said pinand movable about it into a position substantially completely Withinsaid body member to actuate the clasping member and hold itin claspingposition.

5. In a clasp, arigid ti-shaped body member, Va spring clasping membelocated ivithin and having one end secured to one ci the Wings of thebody member andthe other,` end normally resting substantially againstlthe other Wing of said body member, and a clasp actuating memberpivotally secured within said body member and movable about an axisperpendicular to `the plane of the Wings oi-A said body member 'toengageand force the tree end oi? said clasping Amember toward the Wing'to .which the other end is attached.

JOSEPH H. DYNCH.

